Indifference
by blackacess
Summary: Why do you hate me so much?" she whispered painfully. He said, "I don't hate you, Usagi... just indifferent." Usagi was happily married to hotshot corporate lawyer Mamoru Valente, until she found out why he married her.


Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Not mine. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

_With this ring, I thee wed.  
_

**Indifference**

* * *

"_I do."_

It should have been said with joy, reverence and promise, but it was not.

Coming from him, it sounded like doom would – cold and unfeeling – much like the stoic man opposite her.

It should have been the happiest day of her life, but it was not.

He was not marrying her for love.

She shook out of her reverie when his large hand took hers in his. She realized that the Registrar was speaking again.

"_These rings mark the beginning of a long journey filled with wonder, surprises, laughter, tears, celebration, grief, joy. May these rings glow in reflection of the warmth and love which flow through the wearers today." _

And then she saw the simple gold band that he was holding between his long fingers.

"_I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am and all that I have; I honour you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."_

A remote part of her brain numbly registered the fact that he even made sure that the word "love" was never mentioned in his vows. He slid the ring up her fourth finger and all too soon it was her turn. She had used quite an amount of her savings on his ring, but once she saw it she knew that it suited him perfectly, a masculine platinum wedding band. She knew that she shouldn't have spent that much on the ring – or on anything for that matter – but she reasoned that it was _her_ gift to _him_ and it mattered to her that she didn't just randomly pick out one of the relatively cheap rings the jewellery store had on offer.

Just like she also knew that she would be the only one in this marriage who would be keeping their vows.

"You may kiss your bride."

Silence permeated through the room, so quiet that it was literally possibly to hear a pin drop.

_She remembered the first and only time he had kissed her…_

It had been eight years ago at one of their mutual friend's house and someone had suggested the idea of playing Truth or Dare. Embarrassed, she admitted she had never played the game before despite being eighteen back then. Her friends assured her that it was easy to catch on. So armed with a deck of cards and a dice, the game began.

When it was her turn, she chose "Truth". One of the girls asked if she had a crush on anyone in the room. Heat crept up her neck and onto her cheeks when she said no. The girls knew she lied but they were gracious enough to refrain from calling her out.

Not long after it was _his_ turn. A dare. He rolled the dice and it ended with a five.

Zoisite, who had a deck of cards in his palm, turned over the fifth card in the pile to show that it was a 3. He grinned. "Come on, Mamoru, third person on your left." It was then she realized that it was _her_! The room felt hot all of a sudden and she flushed. He, on the other hand, seemed to be glaring at the others in the circle, but more so at Zoisite. He had then walked over to where she sat with an impassive face and kissed her on the cheek (except, she admitted ruefully to herself later, that it was more like a kiss on her hair since some of her hair had covered part of her cheek), then walked back to his place in the circle without so much a word.

The rest of the circle had crowed loudly when he kissed her and they tried to get him to kiss her again saying that they couldn't see that he had actually kissed her. She thought her face would turn as red as a tomato at that, wishing she had not whispered to her girlfriends her friends despite her glaringly obvious blushes whenever his name was mentioned.

A few turns and some hilarious laughs later, it was her turn again. This time she was stuck with a dare because it was not allowed to have consecutive Truths or Dares. Somehow, after the dice roll and the card reveal, it was also a 3 for her. There were only six people playing that game that night, which meant that the recipient of her dare would be _him_.

No matter how much she wanted to, she was reluctant, because she knew that he wouldn't like it. And so she tried to ask for something else. Instead one of the girls said that she had to kiss him on the cheek or kiss the toilet seat. In the end, she shyly walked over and knelt on the floor at his side and brushed her suddenly dry lips across his right cheek.

And that was the first and the last time someone (other than her family) had kissed her in any way.

_Present…_

She realized the years in between had not diminished his aversion, if anything else, he seemed even more reluctant to kiss her here now at their own wedding.

She looked up at him to find that he was staring intently at her face.

His famous poker face was in place and she thought that perhaps he wouldn't kiss her, after all. _Besides,_ she thought, _what would be the point? _There was no audience other than the Registrar and their two witnesses - his friends from law school. Just when she thought that he'd ignore the whole thing and sign the register instead, he leaned down and brushed his lips across her cheek. What seemed like eternity was actually only a brief second, yet she savoured that time all the more for she knew it was a rare concession.

All too soon it was over.

After they had signed the register and completed the paperwork, they stepped out of the courthouse as Mr. & Mrs. Mamoru Valente.

Once his two law school friends Jadeite and Kunzite departed, he turned to her and said mockingly, "I have work to do. Don't wait up for me." With that, he turned on his heels and left her standing there on the steps outside the courthouse gaping after him.

She realized belatedly that the blossoming pain in her chest was only the beginning of this mockery of a marriage.


End file.
